Growing your team and Developing your Employees

One of the key signs of a good leader is how they facilitate the development of their team members. A good leader challenges the employee to extend their skills even if it is at the apparent detriment to the team.

Whilst losing a team member is tough on the team, if it is because they have “outgrown” the team, and leave to further challenge themselves as their current role cannot provide this, the leader has done a great job.

In addition, when a person leaves, it offers others in the team an opportunity to stretch their own abilities and develop their own skills. The introduction of a new team member also provides the chance to bring in new skills and a new perspective.

As a leader, it is important to optimise all of these opportunities. To create an environment where:

• Team members want to extend themselves and be challenged

• Individuals want to learn new skills

• The team feels that they can voice opinions and try new skills without the fear of negative repercussions

• The team appreciates the varied skills that each team member brings

• New employees can question existing processes and suggest new ways of doing things,

• Everyone looks after and encourages their colleagues, even if it means that they may leave the team for new challenges.

In such an environment, team members come to work with energy and full of ideas, and leave stimulated and ready to live their personal life to the full.

The leader learns each individuals skill levels and how to develop plans to extend their skills to new levels. They also know when is the right time to challenge each team member, and when they need to remain in their comfort zone. Pushing people relentlessly can lead to burn out, and sometimes the persons state of mind is not ready to be extended. Knowing this takes skill and empathy.

Being a great leader enriches the lives of their team members in the workplace as well as at home.